Light and Shadow
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: She was the light to his darkness, the sole source of radiance in a hellish existence that only promised pain. Never once did he try to approach her for fear of sullying her innocence with his darkness, never once did she think to speak to him for fear of losing their tenuous bond. An otherwordly intervention changes all that, setting in motion the fates of a galaxy. NarutoxHinata!
1. An End to a Beginning

** A/N: Dear god this idea was too amusing to pass up. Someone once asked me what might happen if someone intervened in Anakin's slaughter of the Jedi; what might happen if someone were to attempt to knock some sense into his thick skull. This is a result of that. 'Nuff said. Note: This story was inspired by the song, Shinedown: Enemies. I'm sorry if this offends an star wars fans out there; I honestly have no intention to anger anyone by writing this! And with that...**

**...please enjoy!**

_"Light? Dark? I am neither. I am simply...grey._

_~?_

**An End to a Beginning**

Alarms vied with the sound of inhuman screams and explosions for dominance, creating a dissonant racket all around him. He gloried in it. Reveled in the chaos and the death and the destruction and the ruination that surrounded him. He delighted in the sounds of conflict that drew ever closer to his position, knowing that his time was finally at hand. And yet he felt sorrow. Beyond this room, jedi and padawans were dying; men and women and children he had known and grown with, slaughtered without cause or thought.

It would've been easy for him-so very easy-to leave this room and lend his aid to the others but he knew that was not his place. Not his destiny. He steeled himself against the sound of conflict, shifting where he stood, his garrish orange black robes rustling with the motion. Subtly, he raised his gaze, his sixth sense calling out to him in warning a hairsbreadth before the danger struck.

_There_.

The doors leading to the Jedi Council chambers flung burst open simultaneously. Clone Troopers spilled in like a wave; boots pounding the pavement, blasters firing, bolts riocheting, ready and willing to fell the lone jedi standing in the center of the room. They never made it. Scarce had they opened fire than the man flung both hands in recompense for their temerity, palms splayed. There was no warning when he struck, only that the universe itself seemed to shimmer. A hairsbreadth of an instant later they were _pushed,_ their bodies pulpled against the walls, flung through the windows, sent screaming to their deaths by the incredible energies of an otherwordly power they themselves could not comprehend. It was simply...

_...the force._

The jedi lowered his arms, his hands vanishing into the voluminous sleeves once more. He stood still as god, head bowed, unmoving, uncaring. No longer held back by the broken windows, the harsh winds of Coruscant lanced through the chamber, tearing at his orange and black robes, nearly deafening him tothe crisp sound of footfalls coming towrds him, through the halls, making their way towards his position. But the wind did little to dull his other senses; he felt and knew what was coming his way. This had been a long time in coming.

He shifted at last, returning his cowled visage to the entrance, alerted by the deadly thrum of an ignited lightsaber.

Arms upraised, clad in a black cloak that devoured the rooms artificial light, he seemed more a god than a mortal. He peered around from the height, surveying all the carnage with the blackest of rage. Without another word, he marched forth from the doorway; the great black abyss snapping shut behind him as he forsook the relative safety that the minute possibility of retreat might have offered him. Golden eyes blazed from within his cowl, the golden eyes of a sith lord.

"You're here." It was not a question, but rather, a statement as he entered the room.

"I am." The man's voice, when he spoke, was surprisingly soft, young sounding.

"You should never have come back."

"I had thought it prudent to inform the council; my wife is expecting."

Anakin Skywalker flinched as though he'd been struck. An image of Padme came to the darth's mind, conjured by the sufffering he'd endured, the pain and the betrayal all for her sake. For her sake he'd allowed himself to become a tool of Palpatine-no, of Darth Sidious, all in the attempt to prevent the horrendous vision that still plagued him. His longtime affair with the former senator had been his most carefully guarded secret, but it was his visions and her own pregnancy, the mere thought of losing her, that brought him to commit such betrayal. Anakin's fault lay in his own feelings. He'd wanted the best of both worlds; the peace and clarity of the order the passion and love he felt toward his wife.

This man stood in direct defiance to all that; rather than try to keep his relationship secret as Anakin had done, he'd forsaken the order, whisking away his soon-to-be jedi bride to the unknown regions, leaving its open arms for the unknown. In a way, he was what Anakin hadn't the strength to be. He'd chosen passion over peace. Love over clarity. Not a jedi, yet not a sith, either. He was simply...grey. Small wonder he had left, then, the order did not embrace such ideals. Why hadn't he taken that course? Why hadn't he left the order to be with Padme? He'd been afraid. Weak and unwilling to relinquish his hold on either world. It galled him to know that this man had done just that; taken hold of his destiny with both hands and bent it to his will.

"She'll be expecting your death, then."

"Skywalker," the man's voice darkened with warning, "If you raise your blade against me here, you'll leave me no choice but to cut you down." The air sizzled as an orange blade leapt into existence in his palm, the deadly thrum eclipsed only by the howling winds whipping through the shadowy council chambers. He extended his remaining hand and a separate hilt slid into his palm, igniting with a siniser snap-hiss. Its lavender glow offset the orange blade; pale and lovely He brandished the blade flawlessly, his face burnished twin shades of orange and magenta, thrusting an added tension between the two men."Please." His voice dropped an octave. "Is this what Padme would want?"

Roaring his fury, Darth Vader charged forward.

It only took the first pass for him to be reminded that this was a highly skilled opponent. The years had done precious little to dulll his skills; if anything, they'd only sharpened during his exile. Deflecting a quick slash intended to disembowel him, Vader wheeled to intercept a hard swipe at his neck. He delivered a spinning round kick to the man's side, sending him reeling even as he reached behind his back to parry a savage thrust at his unprotected flank. He growled, his anger building as the flung lighstaber lanced a paper-thin slice across his ribs_-painful, but not debilitating-_before returning to the jedi's hand.

"Anakin Skywalker." The man swept himself to his feet, bellying the deadly grace with which he moved. "The chosen one." he intoned, sighing. "You were supposed to bring balance to the force, not destroy it. And you honestly think this is the right thing to do?" He cast a cold eye for the carnage surrounding them. "You've slaughtered the younglings, sent these men to their deaths, attempted to _murder_ every Jedi in this temple and for what? Some misbegotten vision? An act of destiny you could've easily avoided; if you just trusted in the force."

"What do you know of the force?" Vader leapt at him with a hiss, blade ablaze, and the man narrowly raised his own to parry; blue and orange spitting sparks as they collided, the latter falling into a defensive stance a hairsbreadth later. "You...always were weaker than me!" The younger man slid to the side in retreat, his spinning weapons redirecting the sith's blades away from his throat, and harmlessly up over his shoulder. Vader came in quickly, from the other side at his hip, and he threw himself into a back handspring to avoid it, landing nimbly on his feet. But his abrupt evasion had come at a cost. The man's shoulders were heaving harshly, chest rising and falling as he struggled to draw breath.

Vader saw the opening and struck without a second thought, giving the man's windpipe a vicious squeeze with the power of the force. He was rewarded with a harsh gasp...and a force push so violent bowled him head over heels. The air pushed past him violently, his back slamming into one of the many durasteel walls spanning the width of the council chamber.

"You're right," he replied at last, eyes ablaze. "I always was weaker than you_...as a jedi."_

Vader bristled, agahst as the man abruptly extinguished one of his two blades. Ordinarly, he would've flung himself at his opponent, taking advantage of his now single blad. The man did not afford him that opportunity however; for scarce had he sheathed the blade than he unleashed a barrage of indigo lightning at him, gathering and releasing the power at the speed of thought. Vader registered the attack, in less than a second, and threw up a force barrier to shield himself, but the electricity tore right through it and arced toward him, snapping and snarling for his flesh.

The sith lord swtiched styles seamlessly, his arms and blade becoming a blur as it carved a loose swathe in the air to catch and absorb the bolts of energy. There was no anger nor passion behind the bolts, only a stern, steely will to strike him down. The hooded jedi-no, the _warrior_ fell upon him again, following up the lightning with pure offense, both blades ignited once more.

Vader brought his lightsaber down at the man, who crossed his blades in an X, attempting to block and trap his opponent's weapon at the point of intersection. But the sith's move was only a feint meant to distract him, and at the last instant he pulled his weapon back and swung an elbow around to catch him in the ribs. The contact lifted him off his feet and sent him sprawling. Then he was upon him, sending the blue blade slamming to the floor where the man's head should have been.

_Should've been._

Because even as he toppled over backward, he turned his fall into a roll, that ended with him back on his feet. There was a faint _whoosh_ as he extinguished one of the sabers once more, brandishing the orange blade in a reverse grip that sent the deadly sword screaming toward Vader's wrist.

Anakin recognized, processed, and reacted to this information in a fraction of a second, allowing him to adjust his weapon's own course just enough to block a strike that otherwise would have slipped along the edge of his blade and taken his arm off at the elbow. Even so, the strength behind the attack tore Anakin's sapphire sword/blade from his grip, sending the lightsaber skittering across the floor. Unarmed and helpless before his enemy, a desperate ploy formed in his mind. Even as the orange clad warrior brought his blade down for the kill, Anakin thrust the force at his windpipe and squeezed with the dark side.

_Hard._

The man gagged, startled by the ferocity of the sith lord's counter, before breaking it just as easily. However the distraction allowed Vader to look over and reach out with the force, calling his weapon back into his hand even as the orange blade hurtled towards his head. Vader narrowly blocked, taking the blade from his knees and guiding it to the permacrete floor, buying himself much-needed time to was another snap-hiss and Vader realized-almost too late-that the man's second lightsaber was active once more. Belatedly he recognized his mistake; the man meant to come at him, both blades swinging. The air snarled and sizzled as both his mismatched sabers carved an elaborate flourish around his body, then another above his head.

He smiled knowingly.

"Are you ready for this, little annie?" He teased, calling him by the very name his mother once used. Vader saw red, and then his opponent leapt foward at him, robes flaring as he came in fast and hard. The real battle had begun in earnest and abruptly, Darth Vader found himself at a disadvantage before the hooded greyling.

He seemed to be everywhere at once-in front of him, beside him, behind him, circling low, leaping to come in high, deflecting his blade with one of her own then stabbing three quick times in succession at his eyes. The sith lord's head ducked and bobbed, twisting and turning to avoid his blows as he tried to mount a counter-offensive. The man was clearly aiming for his visage; he wanted to end this in one blow. And with those deadly twin blades biting and buzzing around his head, he just might. Because this man did not fight as a jedi did, not with peace and clarity and predictability. He moved with the fluid grace of a dancer, his blades singing that deadly song of battle and death as they came closer and closer each time.

_No!_ Anakin's heart roared, his rage building. _Padme!_ _I won't lose to him! I CANNOT!_

He bellowed in rage, blowing his opponent backwards with an explosion of dark side energy, his power fueld by the sharp emotions of grief and loss.

Blinded by his fury, vader lashed out at the opening, hurtling his lightsaber at the man, in a rare lapse of control. The youth's head snapped to the side, the sapphire streak searing through his cowl to strike at the face beneath, shredding the fabric and likely leaving an indellibe scar across his cheek. It was a petty satisfaction, but Vader was nonetheless satisfied by his savage stroke.

Until his opponent spoke.

"I expected better of you, ya know?" The man's voice was chiding, light, yet sorrowed. "You, could've gone public with your relationship, like Hinata and I did. But you didn't. And see what it got you?" He reached back and up for his hood, flinging the tattered garment down to reveal his true countenance; a face that Vader had known rather well in his days as a padawan. Those cheery blue eyes were harsh and cold now; colder than the nights of Tantooine, brighter than her blazing suns. Once they'd been friends. Now, they were enemies. That determined set of his jaw spoke volumes; he would not fall easily. He too, was fighting for someone; for a future only he could create.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Vader roared! "You know nothing! _**NOTHING!"**_

"Neither do you, Annie." The blond pointed out, extinguishing his sabers. "Didn't it occur to you that I could've ended this by now?"

_"What?"_

Vader turned toward the doors, eyes bulging. Dread subsumed him, smothering his fury in more immediate terror. There he could feel it, miles away, in the senate. He'd so consumed with killing his friend-turned-rival-turned-enemy that he hadn't noticed it until now. There was another prescence, strong in the force, dangerously close to that of Sidious. And the Sith Master was faltering.

"Master!

"No, don't bother." Naruto waved him off with curt flick of the force, slamming the doors shut in Vader's face. "My wife's probably making short work of your precious master as we speak." He shuddered as he spoke, as if the mere mention of his fellow jedi actually...frightened him. "Honestly, I actually feel kinda sorry for him, ya know? Hinata-chan's really scary when she gets mad, but then again...

When he raised his gaze, his eyes were no longer blue. No, they were somehting else altogether. Irises slittled, sapphire snapping into scarlet.

_...so am I."_

When his blades blurred forward again this time, Darth Vader didn't have the chance to block. The orange blade struck down like a hammer, jarring the lightsaber from his artificial hand in the same instant that its twin struck down upon the man-made limb, severing it at the elbow. Anakin tried to draw upon the force to aid him, tried to call it back into his good hand...and too late, he knew his doom.

"Checkmate, Annie." Naruto sighed, sadly.

Naruto had since extinguished his lightsaber, and now both hands were stretched toward him, hands splayed. Sparks crackled at the edge of his fingertips, the raw voltage roiling off his shoulders and spilling down into his waiting palms. Even as the sith lord struggled to call his blade back to him, he felt the first tingle of electricity upon his skin. He braced himself for the pain, but even then, nothing could have prepared him for these hellish arcs; a storm of energy so intense that he had to close his eyes against it.

He heard his own voice, his scream rising above the sharp crackle of electricity as his flesh burned and then...

_...there was only darkness._

**A/N: I'm surprised no one has thought of this yet and if they have, my apologies. Naruto and Hinata are obviously force sensitive and became jedi, but just how did this happen? Will Anakin suffer his fate as vader or will Naruto-pardon my french-knock his ass out of it? Sadly, you'll have to wait, as we see just how all this came about to begin with. Pairing is NarutoxHinata and a great deal more bright than most of my fics, in hindsight.**

**So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...review/donate, would you kindly?**

**R&R! =D**


	2. Of Light and Dark

** A/N: Dear god the idea for this chapter was too CUTE to pass up. It consists mainly of excerpts from Naruto and Hinata's life, from the time of their childhood, halfway to where shit hit the fan and they left the order. But first, the end of the sith! There will only be one or two more chapters after this, so I hope you enjoy this amusing little tale and of course...**

**...please enjoy the next chapter of Light and Dark!**

_"I love you. I've...always loved you."_

_~?_

**Of the Light and the Dark**

Uzumaki Naruto crossed the threshold to the senate with long strides, dragging the unkempt body formerly known as Anakin Skywalker behind him. The man's body still smoked from where he'd been smothered by the force lightning; but the slight rise and fall of his chest showed that he yet lived. The groan that fled from his lips merely meant he was in pain; nothing a week in a bacta tank wouldn't cure. Discarding the would-be Sith at the door, the grey paladin stalked inside the grand chambers of the galactic senate, lightsaber ablaze.

It was like walking into a hurricane.

The doors to the senate chambers wooshed open and he felt the blood rush from his face at the sight of her; a young female brandishing the long shaft of a double bladed lightsaber, its twirling lavender blades barely a meter across. She was a creature of brilliant beauty; a fierce and furious goddess of war as she carved a path through the enemy toward her target; the emperor himself. Lightning air sizzlled and spat around her, each volley coming perilously close, flying harmlessly past her, severing the air and severing heads alike. Curtains of violet, shades of crimson, lightsabers jarring against one another over and over again; a series of intricate movements too complex for a non-force user to comprehend. Empowered with the force though he was, Naruto could scarcely see their movements, and what he _did_ see threatened to leave him breathless altogether.

She struck and stabbed at the Emperor; riposting and parying whenever possible, uncaring for how close his crimson blade came to finding her face. All the while her mind was elsewhere, fencing off her opponent's mental assault, though by no means less physical. Senate seats spun like twirling tops as the jedi and sith played tug of war with their minds; flinging the great metal discuses at another as though they were giant frisbees. Hinata arched herself backwards, placing distance between them. Then she charged towards Palpatine.

Her opponent stood perfectly still, focusing and channeling his power. At the last possible instant, the Emperor unleashed a wave of energy that swept Hinata off her feet and flying backwards. Naruto was ready to step in and intervene right then and there, and he would have, had not Hinata twisted in midair so that she was able to roll with the impact when she landed. She quickly sprang back to her feet and advanced again, moving more slowly this time.

The Emperor stood in the exact same position as before; it was as if he hadn't even moved. Naruto could sense the oppressive prescence of the dark side weighing down, not just on him, but upon his wife. The Emperor was trying to crush their will: to dominate and enslave their minds, weakening them to his will as he'd done to countless others before. This time however, the sith lord faced not two jedi, but husband and wife. Even as Hinata advanced beneath the crushing weight, Naruto hung back, his eyes drifting shut.

Instead of charging forward to aid his bondmate, Naruto opened himself to the Force, letting both the light and dark side flow through him like twin rushing rivers. But instead of focusing or channeling the Force, he let it loose, released it in its purest form. All of his emotions, all his peace, all his clarity, everything he was and everything he would be poured from like a monsoon, washing over his wife and leaving her unharmed. Same could not be said for the Emperor.

There was a brilliant flash as the air between the two combatants lit up. The energy unleashed was powerful enough to send Naruto staggering. Palpatine, unprepared and with much of his strength diverted to his effort to dominate their minds, was sent flying backwards in silent shock.

He landed in a heap on the floor, and Hinata raced towards him, hoping to overtake their shared enemy before he could recover. The Emperor rolled over, lifted himself up on one knee, and his hands flew forward as he hurtled a bolt of dark side lightning at his enemy. Hinata intercepted the bolt with one of her blades, though the impact stopped her charge dead in its tracks. Palpatine unleashed three more bolts in quick succession, a writhing storm of spite and fury coalescing in his hand and leaping towards the female jedi.

Hinata batted the first aside with her lightsaber, ducked the second, then deflected the third back in the direction of its source.

It struck the Emperor in the chest, sending him sliding several meters back on the floor. For the first time the sith's emotionless veneer cracked as he let out a primal hiss of hate. The sound sent shivers down Naruto's spine. The emperor rose to his feet, his robes smoking and singed where the lightning had struck him, his cowl obliterated. His golden eyes flashed, and for the first time, Naruto beheld the man responsible for the near destruction of the jedi order. His flesh was hideously disfigured; either from misusing the powers of the dark side, or His lightsaber growled like thunder in his hand, filling the senate chamber with his anger.

Palpatine glared bloody red daggers at both of them, his visage twisted grotesquely beyond the bar of red light.

_"You,"_ he growled at Naruto, his words little more than a sibilant snarl. "Do you honestly think the two of you can try and stop me, boy?"

"Do or do not," Naruto quoted, fingering the hilt of his lightsaber.

_"There is no try."_ Hinata was already in motion, her body little more than an azure and lavender blur. Sidious barely managed to parry the first wave of her assault, unable to even think about countering with an attack of his own, let alone retreat. Naruto seized on the opportunity. The Force flowed through him, stronger than it ever had before. Empowering him, strengthening him, filling his every pore. His very body seemed to glow with untapped power, that he used now to send himself hurtling upward and into the fray. Scarce did he set foot upon Sidious's platform than the battle was joined.

Orange joined lavender and rained down upon the self-proclaimed emperor in a righteous fury that put the dark side to shame.

The sith lord was clearly outmatched; though he managed to hold his ground, he was forced down to one knee. He flung another burst of dark side lightning, a dozen bolts of lightning springing from his hand, arcing at the jedi across from him. Instead of leaping back to another platform to avoid the deadly attack, Naruto stepped forward to greet it.

Both hands were held in front of him, his arms fully extended at shoulder height, his thumbs touching and his fingers splayed wide. He drew the bolts of lightning into his waiting grasp, channeling them away from their intended targets and absorbing their power.

"Your reign is over, Sidious." he said to the emperor. "And it wasn't short enough."

Sidious's eyes went wide as Naruto unleashed the power of his own attack against him. He tried to throw up a Force shield, but the bolts ripped it apart and continued unabated. The lightning engulfed him, the intense heat depriving him of his defenses, stripping him of his strength and forcing him to the floor.

A flicker of warning was all the blonde received before his wife stepped in beside him, lightsaber spinning.

Even as he looked on she twirled the dread blade around herbody and above her head in a fierce flourish, swatting the saber from the Emperor's hands...alongside the entirety of his sword arm. She grinned as he cried out; screaming and clutching at the severed stump of his elbow; grinned as she flung a hand forward, force lightning screaming from her fingertips. Devoid of his saber Sidious crumpled beneath the assault, falling to a knee as the lavender-eyed goddess continued to pour bolt after wicked bolt into his body; his already ruinated flesh rotting and writhing while the Hyuuga reveled in his cries.

"Beg!" She demanded, driving the hellish onslaught deeper into his body, into his very bones. "Beg for mercy for what you've done!"

"N-Never!" The Emperor rasped out. "The sith will not fall here!"

There was a silence.

_"Then die!"_

Despite himself, Naruto shivered at the sight of his wife. While he and his childhood friend had _initiallly_ embraced the positive outlook of the light side and that of the Jedi, the once shy Hyuuga secreted a dark side that made his inner demon look positively _tame_ by comparison. Back her into a corner, threaten all those whom she held dear, and her anger came tearing off its leash. That very same anger had been brought to bear upon Darth Sidious and he was helpless against it. It certainly didn't help that she was already two weeks pregnant!

Her face frozen in a mask of rage and hatred, Hinata stepped forward and spun her lightsaber above the emperor's head. The Emperor looked at her with pleading eyes, but the Hyuuga's only response was to bring her blade crashing down, ending his life. Naruto didn't even bother to watch his head roll; he was already moving past his wife, toward the comlink. The prank he'd wrought on Darth Sidious put his childhood stunts back in the village to shame. Inserting a datachip and punching in a series of numbers, he called up a display, summoning the holgraphic likeness of a clone commander.

"Commander Cody." he began sternly, arms folded behind his back. "Do you know who I am?"

Though the clone commander's face could not be seen, the stiffness in his shoulders certainly could.

"Supreme Commander Uzumaki!" He saluted. "To what do I...erm...owe the honor?"

"Cut the chatter." Naruto snapped. "You know what this is about."

"Sir?"

"Execute _Order Sixty-Seven."_ he barked into the receiver. "Authorization code: Orange. Sidious has shown his true colors. You are to cease all hostilities against the jedi and their allies immediately as well as broadcast the footage on this datachip across the galaxy. Do you understand and comprehend these orders?"

"Sir!" the clone snapped off a final salute. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"Its damned good to have you back, sir." the commander nodded curtly. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

The new Emperor couldn't quite keep the smile from his face. He'd establish quite the rapport with the clones in his days as a padawan; that connection-and a visit to Kamino-had served him well. If he hadn't created a Order Sixty-Seven

"Acknowledged." He grinned. "Now, hop to it, soldier!"

"Yessir!"

Naruto heaved a sweet sigh of relief as the holoprojector shut down. Anakin defeated? Check. Sidious dead? Check. Galaxy saved? Check. Now all that remained was to butcher the Separatist leaders of Mustafar_-a feat he would take great the utmost of pleasure in-_reunite Anakin and Padme, smack some serious sense into the former, track down and reunite the remaining jedi, and try not to run the galaxy's greatest government into the ground as the new emperor. So, he had covered everything, right?

_Wrong._

He laughed as he felt a full bosom press into his back, her arms wrapping around him in a vice. _Hinata._ He'd nearly forgotten her in all the commotion. Her certainly remembered her now! He turned in her arms, turned to face her fully, buried his head in her neck.

"We did it." She purred into his chest, her lips warm against his collarbone.

"We did, didn't we?" he smiled into her embrace, savoring her warmth.

"I...I can't believe you're the emperor now." The slightest of stutters entered her voice, a far cry from the stammering mess she'd once been. Naruto didn't much mind. Hinata had been the one to drag him back to the civilized systems to begin with; everything else had been downhill from there.

"And you're my empress, of course." he pulled her close to him, determined never to let her go again.

"Flatterer."

"I try."

"So, how are you going to make this up to me?"

"Hmmm?"

"I did just kill the emperor for you after all, darling."

"Hey!" Naruto protested, a soft whine entering his words. "I...helped! Sort of."

Hinata laughed into his chest; it was the softest, sweetest of sounds, one he swore he'd never forget, no matter how long he lived.

"You know...

After almost a full minute, they pulled away from one another, his sapphire eyes looking deeply into her lavender. She wore an expression of complete and utter ardoration on her face as she returned his gaze, her grin turning slightly devious as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. _Stang!_

"I can think of one way you'll repay me...

His mind exploded into white as his arms took control, spreading themselves across her back. He was so completely taken aback by her kiss that he hardly noticed when his left hand began to cup her firm ass and his right palm took up residence on her jaw. He deepened the kiss as he pressed his body against hers, pushing her back against the nearest wall. Her hands were just as explorative, her nimble fingertips running along his chest and stomach. Naruto pulled away, slowly, reluctantly.

"Are you seriously trying to seduce me, my empress?"

"That depends." She blinked up at him through her lashes. "Is it working?"

"Oh fuck the hell yes."

Naruto kissed his wife again then, passion searing through the force and into her lips. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. Everything he'd ever dreamed of had come true. He could feel the life stirring in her womb, the daughter that would one day be theirs. Forget being hokage of a single planet. He'd just gone from one man to the leader of an entire Republic!

Looking back, she'd had his heart from day one; from the very beginning. Not completely of course, but little by little. Piece by tiny piece; worming her way into his head until she was all he could stand to think about, dream about, breathe about. It had all begun so long ago when they were mere children; blissful, ignorant younglings, unaware of potency of their powers and their catastrophic effects they wrought upon others. The days of their youth were long behind them, but even now, he couldn't help but think of them, reflect upon what it was that had brought them from their planet to stars and galaxies miles distant...

...so very long ago...

**A/N: Well, I'm back again! Hope you enjoyed the second chapter! Tis merely a series of excerpts from the more interesting scenes of Naruto and Hinata's life amongst the stars. Someone ws wise enough to mention Hinata learning dancing moves from a group of freed Twi'leks to please her husband and the idea just set something off in me. The next chapter should be...amusing, to say the least when I include that scene. I sincerely hope this one made you smile while you read, just as I smiled while writing it. We're almost finished here, as I've resolved to complete this story. Soo I sincerely look forward to your feedback!**

**So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...review, would you kindly?**

**R&R! =D**


	3. Shadows of the Past

** A/N: Dear god the idea for this chapter was too CUTE to pass up. It consists mainly of excerpts from Naruto and Hinata's life, from the time of their childhood, halfway to where shit hit the fan and they left the order. There will only be one or two more chapters after this, so I hope you enjoy this amusing little tale and of course...**

**...please enjoy the next chapter of Light and Dark!**

_"The past is just that. The past..._

_~?_

**Shadows of the Past**

"What are you doing?"

Uzumaki Naruto looked up from the holoprojector, the slightest of smiles affecting the features of his whiskered face as he beheld his wife standing behind him. Outlined against the arch of their open bedroom, wrapped in a thin lavender nightgown, she put most Twi'lek's to shame_-ironic, considering they had three of the green-hued handmaidens waiting on them hand and foot-and_ the sight of her she inspired such passion within him that he almost turned away from his appointed task. Almost, but not quite.

"Just...remembering." He turned back to his device, carefully adjusting the fibers of once more. It sizzled and fizzzled beneath his touch, yet refused to activate. "Stang." The blond spat and raised a finger. For the brief of briefest moments the room was lit by lightning, a single bolt leaping from his finger and into the intricate circuitry of the device. A soft chime confirmed its successful activation.

"I can think of better things to do," Hinata said, her voice slipping into a seductive purr as she slid into bed beside him. Naruto chuckled ruefully. He could, too. But this was important. Too important to put off any longer. Contenting himself to a soft peck on the cheek, he returned to his work.

"Did I mention how much I love you?"

"A couple of times." She favored him with a coy smile-an expression that at any other time would have made Naruto's knees buckle with yearning and desire. Now, however, her smile merely reminded him of the task at hand. He sighed as she nuzzled her head into his neck with that same sensuous smile; only for it to fall away as she finally beheld just what was taking his attention away from her. It took her breath away. He could see it in her eyes. The awe, the shock, the joy and elation; too many emotions to count flickered across her face as she beheld the faint images before his crossed knees.

"Oh...darling." A tear trailed down her face, unnoticed as she laid her head against his shoulder. "When did you have time to do this?"

"Here and there." The blond shrugged, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "I couldn't trust something like this to a shadow clone-mmph." He found his words stolen away as she kissed him, her lips seeking his with passion transcending passion, pinning him against the bedrest. He gasped in surprise; it just felt so damned wonderful

"What was that for?"

"For being you." She kissed him again, chastely. "You incredible, _wonderful_ man, you."

Years upon years of memories lay scattered on the bed before them; countless thoughts and feelings painstakingly converted into holovid form over the last decade and beyond. From the day of their first meeting, to the time they'd spent learning of their powers in the force; their days as padawans and then knights, the mutual attraction they developed through their shared bond forged in fire. The day they forsook the code, not out of any realy spite for the order itself but out of love for one another. Then came the Clone Wars and their secret affair followed by their not-so-secret departure from the order. And the fall. The time when he gave into the dark side and nearly lost himself to its embrace. It was all here and more, compiled for future reference and notes, memories to be looked on and remembered throughout their long lives.

And a long life it would be.

Naruto grimaced at the thought; Sidious was less than a day dead and already the galactic senate was reeling from repercussions of his actions; from the data he'd seeded across the holonet. A Sith Lord! After all these years, they'd been deceived by the very thing their jedi had sworn to defent them against! Their precious Palpatine, the man in whom they'd placed all their hopes and dreams had betrayed them; machinated the entire war against the Separatists from the very beginning for the sake of the sith and now they lay dead in a bunker upon Mustafar. The irony was not lost on Naruto; he knew that without their aid he'd never have been able to sneak those bugs into the chancellor's office in the first place.

Sidious hadn't been the only one to work both sides.

Countless devices, each utterly undectable to conventional scans, each transmitting direct footage and data from the supreme chancellor's office since his first days as supreme chancellor. Decades of incriminating and damning footage left for countless species and peoples to rifle through at their leisure. Media spanning across the cosmos had a field day with that one, but the true story, lay in the aftermath of Sidious's death. Naruto would've been perfectly content to retreat back into the unknown regions after successfuly saving the galaxy for a second time.

The people weren't having any of it.

In the wake of the death of Darth Sidious, Naruto had unanimously been named Supreme Emperor and Chancellor of the Republic in a landslide vote. He would've much rather preferred someone like Bail Organa for the post; the man was far more suited to the position than the former jedi-turned-sith-turned-something-else entirely. But the people needed a symbol, an ideal to rally around in this time of turmoil. Naruto, as much as he disliked it, he was that ideal at the moment. He was no Palpatine; he knew _jack_ when it came to the inner workings of bureacuracies.

This was going to take some getting used to.

Still...Emperor Naruto. Title had a nice ring to it.

That was were the fun ceased however, and the true work began. The only thing he'd managed to accomplish _without_ hassle thus far was to name Hinata as his Empress. Everything else was like slogging through mud; he was fought every step of the way, even as he struggled to repair and undo the damage left by Sidious and the giant _clusterfuck_ he'd left behind. First there was the matter of the clones. Should they remain active as the Republic's standing army, or be decomissioned? Each side presented a convincing arguement, but for now, the troopers were tasked with mopping up Separatist remnants and operations in distant sectors.

Next, came Anakin. Naruto had dumped the man in a bacta tank for half a day and left strict instructions that the jedi-turned-sith was to be kept sedated at all times. Now, Skywalker was nearly healed. He'd remained sedated for now, but what would he happen when he awoke? What would his reaction be once he realized he was a father to two twins? Thanks to Hinata, Padme had survived her precarious pregnancy and now rested; assured her husband was alive and well...but she knew next to nothing of what'd occurred at the jedi temple; of the hundreds Anakin had slain before being brought down.

Naruto planned to leave _that_ to his onetime friend to explain; Anakin's actions would likely haunt him until the day he died.

And then there was the matter of his master, Aayla Secura. She'd survived her encounter on Felucia; his order having come just in time to spare her life. Unfortunately, it did not spare him her anger. She was less than pleased by what she saw as a "power grab" by her former apprentice; made all the more evident through the curt call she'd made mere hours before...

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_"Your excellency, you have a call waiting for you on line one."_

_Naruto risked a glance up from his desk and synonomously bit back a groan as an aide passed to him a small discus-like device, what passed for a portable holoprojector these days. He was less than pleased. Another one? That had to be the fifteenth call in the last ten minutes! Restraining his rage, he forced a warm smile at the woman in question and inclined his head._

_"That will be all." His words were kind, but their intent was blatantly clear. Get out. He watched her show herself out, patiently waiting until the door was shut. Only then did he dare activate the call he'd been dreading all this while. Throat thick with trepidation, the former sith lord __thumbed the device and was promptly greeted by the image of a young twi'lek. Her cerulean skin and sensuous features were only slightly marred by the indistinct blue glimmer of the holoprojector itself. While the sight of her proved a balm to his anxiety, her expression and bedraggles appearance did little to soothe his nerves._

_"Master Secura." There could be no disguising the relief in his words. "You survived."_

_"Thanks to you." Her words were crisp, curt. She made no mention of the burns lining her back; she didn't need to. Once more, Naruto offered silent thanks to his bondmate. Had Hinata not convinced him to return to civiliazation, the jedi would be dead, and Aayla with them. Sidious would be in power, and the fate and future of their children would be most dark indeed. He steepled his fingers and leaned forward, contemplating the woman responsible for first uplifting him from his homeworld of Ninjato alongside the soon-to-be mother of his children. He could just make out the clones standing beyond her; stiff and erect like pillars of salt, utterly abashed for their earlier actions._

_With the succinct feeling he was going to **regret** taking this call, the supreme leader of the republic forged onwards._

_"You're welcome, sensei." He leaned back in his chair, folding both arms behind his head._

_Aayla shook her head, tails swirling._

_"I'm sorry Naruto, but despite this I cannot condone what you've done." She flung up her arms, lekku twitching in exasperation. "Honestly, what are you thinking?! A jedi hasn't helmed the republic since-_

_"Sorry, gonna have to stop you there." Naruto held up a finger. "I'm not a jedi anymore, remember?"_

_His words stopped the Twi'lek cold. Naruto waited for her to continue, for her to thank him, but when the silence stretched onward, so too, did the limits of his patience._

_"Why am I not surprised?" The blond drawled, his words slipping into an almost feral hiss. "I came back to save your asses, to save you from the **sith** and I don't get so much as a single "thank you" even from my own master. I should have known-_

_"Thank you."_

_Her words brought Naruto up short. He leaned forward intently, regarding her with mere slits of sapphire. Well, this was unexpected._

_"Excuse me?"_

_"I said thank you." Aayla repeated, cheeks flushing. **"I** owe you that much, at the very least."_

_"Well, would you look at that." Naruto couldn't quite keep the grin from his features, his old self slipping through the stoney facade he'd erected. "I do believe you're blushing, sensei." He looked up as the doorts leading to his chamber whooshed open, and a slow smile stole its way across his features._

_"I most certainly am not." Aayla's voice brought him back to the present. "And why are you smiling?"_

_"I most certainly am not smiling." He replied as the figure in question circled around his desk. _

_"You are."_

_Naruto shrugged._

_"Whatever you say..._

_"Now you see here!"_

_"Hai hai," He waved her off. "Well, when you've recovered, feel free to come visit us on Coruscant. We'll leave an opening in our schedule for you."_

_"Naruto!" __Aayla fumed, getting a little annoyed with his blasé attitude. "By the force! Is that who I think it is?!" That and the figure of her fellow knight as she slipped into the recording. She balked as Hinata slid into his lap, the lavender-eyed hime smiling as she'd never smiled before. "Hinata?!" Her heard his former master choke out as the onetime healer took his head in her hands and lowered her mouth to his. Jedi did not condone acts of love or emotion; he knew exactly what his mate was playing at. She'd always seen Aayla as a threat to her during their brief interlude as jedi, and even now at her redemption she meant to make one thing true and clearto her former superior; Naruto belonged to her, and no one else._

_"Stop that!" The jedi sputtered. "You two aren't...you can't be doing such things!"_

_Naruto flicked a switch on the holoprojector, the signal abruptly became thin and grainy._

_"Sorry...losing your signal..._

_"Don't you **dare** hang up on me-_

_Click!_

* * *

The memory brought a small smile to his lips. He was well deserving of whatever wrath his former master brougth down upon his head, that he was.

And finally, there were the jedi. Naruto had already twice forsaken his former brother and sisters in arms; first on a self-destructive path down the dark side_-one that he'd nearly dragged Hinata down_-and then after his redemption at her hands, his subsuquent refusal to return to the order. Some had compared him to another ex-jedi at the time. Revan. Long ago he too had rejected the jedi order and their archaic philosophies, first as a sith, then as something else; choosing neither light nor dark but grey itself. No, Naruto was no longer at fault. He might have fallen, albeit briefly, but at least no one knew of his fall_-save Hinata-_and even then he had retreated into seclusion, rather than kill anyone.

Anakin had done the opposite; the jedi knight had unleashed all his emotions like a hurricane after his betrayal, uncaring for who he hurt.

The order and the jedi within it would have to change, lest they suffer such a fate a second time. Thus was his newest proclamation. No longer would the jedi be mere peacekeepers, under his rule the guardians of their grand republic-turned-empire would have a more outgoing role. Rather than peacekeepers, they would become warriors. No long would they always shun their emotions, as he'd been forced to; they would learn what it meant to love, to care, to change over time. The sith, despite all their flaws, had that right, at the very least. Over countless millenia they had evolved and changed; never static; unlike the decaying order to which he'd once been bound. That would change.

Shortly thereafter his latest proclamation, the surviving jedi began to trickle back in, they were far fewer than he'd hoped for. Yoda and Obi-Wan present amongst them. Kami...there was another conversation he wasn't looking forward to having. A former jedi, ruling the republic? Forget Aayla's reaction, they certainly weren't going to take that well...

And oh lord, the meetings! Everyone wanted to thank him and shake his hand; to bless their noble saviour for unmasking the deception that clouded their vision for so long. The war was finally over and he had torn the wool away from their eyes and brought light to the darkness. He had done the impossible. He'd saved the galaxy, and his soul in the proccess.

Now, it was merely a matter of his legacy. Naruto wanted his children and their chilldren and their children's _children_ to know the heritage that they all shared; to know how he and the lavender-eyed _hime_ sitting across from him had come to be. Some were mere snippets, others, entire chapters of his legacy. Their legacy. Thought the might have to wait as he felt his wife pressing up against him.

"Patience," he answered.

"I have been patient," she cooed, her expression a sensual pout. "We're not going to be able to do this when I have the twins, you know."

"Twins?" Naruto nearly dropped the holorecording. "How do you know they're going to be twins?" Hinata merely smiled.

"Call it a mother's intuition." her voice slipped once more into the seductive purr, her tongue emerged, swiping over her lips, "I've already thought of names for them."

"Oh, I'm going to _love_ this."

"Hush." She swatted him on the nose for silence. "Kushina for the girl, Minato for the boy. What do you think?"

This time, Naruto did drop the recording.

"Those are the names of my parents."

Hinat nodded, her smile that of an expectant mother.

"And they will be the names of our children." Naruto's mouth worked wordlessly. He was utterly unaware that in dropping the holovid, he'd accidentally triggered the playback feature. As Hinata pulled him back towards the bed, toward her, into her, it was the furthest thing from his mind...

_(Konohagakure, years ago)_

"Leave him alone!"

A young Uzumaki Naruto risked a glance upward as the beatings abruptly abated; a group of chunin had decided to take advantage of the "celebration" to "instill sense" into the demon brat. He searched for his saviour through a swollen eye, scarcely able to believe his eyes. It was a girl.

She glared pale daggers at them.

"You do not know this boy. Go home and leave him alone."

A blank look entered the bullies eyes. Dumbly, they repeated her words.

"We...do not know this boy. We will go home and leave him alone." As one they turned and began to walk away, utterly ignoring their victim.

She was only seven, maybe eight, a waif of a girl with long, navy hair. Her clothing was simple to the point of being rustic: a loose lavender dress that seemed several sizes too large for her frame. Anyone who saw her would have been hard pressed to think that this girl had driven the boys off with merely a word and a glance. And yet she had.

"How did you do that?" the boy asked, picking himself up off the floor. He was wary of her. Cautious.

The girl flushed, her pale cheeks burnishing a soft pink.

"Th-They were being rude and...ano...I...oh. I'm sorry." She blinked, squirmed, finally realizing what he'd said. "Um...sometimes people just listen to me."

"Eh?!" Naruto balked. "That was more than just listening! She just stopped bugging me and went home! Just like that! That was awesome! What did you do? Was it some sort of trick or something! Tell me!" He babbled a moment longer before he realized his own words, withdrawing back into himself.

"Thanks." He dusted himself off. "But I don't need your help."

"B-But...

"I said I don't need your help!" He turned and stumbled away, resolved to ignore this girl. He did not need her. He did not need anyone. He had need only of himself, of his own power. He didn't need anyone. Anyone at all...

The next day, the starship came for them.

**A/N: Well, I'm back again! Hope you enjoyed the third chapter! Tis merely a series of excerpts from the more interesting scenes of Naruto and Hinata's life amongst the stars. Someone was wise enough to mention Hinata learning dancing moves from a group of freed Twi'leks to please her husband and the idea just set something off in me. The final chapter should be...amusing, to say the least when I include that scene. I sincerely hope this one made you smile while you read, just as I smiled while writing it. We're almost finished here, as I've resolved to complete this story. Soo I sincerely look forward to your feedback!**

**So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...review, would you kindly?**

**R&R! =D**


	4. Love can Ignite the Stars

** A/N: Dear god the idea for this chapter was too CUTE to pass up. It consists mainly of excerpts from Naruto and Hinata's life, from the time of their childhood, halfway to where shit hit the fan and they left the order. There will only be one or two more chapters after this, so I hope you enjoy this amusing little tale and of course...**

**...please enjoy the next chapter of Light and Shadow!**

_"To fall in love is not something to be frowned upon. It is something to be cherished. To be able to love each other, to hold a son or a daughter or both in ones hands, to raise a family. That isn't something that should be taken away."_

_~Hinata Hyuuga._

**Shadows of the Past**

Naruto gazed out at the planet Coruscant directly ahead, a mixture of anticipation and dark brooding swirling through him. As far as he was concerned, the entire planet was a thing out of his dreams; a phantom of this imagination. He did not doubt Aayla's words so much as he did her intention. If he and Hianta were oh so incredibly gifted then why did they have to leave their homeworld behind? Surely they could have helped others with their unique talents.

Why did they have to leave?

The thought gnawed at him. It burrowed into his brain and spread its terrible tendrils, touching him doubt and dread. He was nervous. Frightened. Afraid._ I'm not ready for this,_ he realized. Not in the slightest. His skin was cold and clammy, to a touch and his stomach...well, he knew he wasn't cut out for space travel.

_I never should've come,_ he swore to himself, gagging. He would much rather be back home, on Ninjato; the concept that his world wasn't the only one out there was

His mentor must've sensed these feelings; because she was suddenly at his side, her hand an unsettling weight upon his arm and shoulder.

"Do you miss your home?" she asked.

Naruto bristled visibly. He didn't like being touched. It reminded him of the beatings.

"No." He bit the word out. "I'm glad to be gone."

"Watch your anger," she cautioned. "That leads to the-

-dark side, I know." the jinchuuriki sighed. "Its not that I miss it, its just...

"Just?"

_"...why do they hate me?"_ his words were soft, lonely, forlorn. Did they hate him because of these powers? Or perhaps it was something else? Something he did not yet know of?

"Fine, Secura-sensei." he mumbled. Aaayla Secura. A jedi knight. One who wielded more power_-and more control!-_than he, a venerable guardian of the light and native to the world of Ryloth. She was a Twi'lek. Yesterday, had you asked Naruto what a Twi'lek was, you would've ceived a puzzled look

Of course, Naruto had displayed his own power by blowing _her_ through a wall.

Only days before he and the girl-Hinata, he remembered-had been accosted by this strange being beyond belief; an alien. A creature not of this world nor the next, but of something else entirely.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_...wake up."_

Slowly Naruto opened his eyes, flinching under the harsh sunlight but refusing to close them, blotches assaulted his sight and it took a minute for his eyes to adapt. He looked over at the woman kneeling beside him. Her voice carried a strange accent to it, almost enchanting to his hearing. But when he saw her he jumped in surprise.

She wasn't human. She was tall and slender, dressed in skin tight leather which left her stomach and arms bear, as well as giving him a nice view of some cleavage when she bent over to inspect him. Her skin was a dark shade of blue, cerulean maybe. A perfect face, full midnight blue lips, chocolate brown eyes, but the thing that surprised him the most was that instead of hair she had two long tails, extending down to the small of her back.

She was in his apartment. In his room!

"You wouldn't happen to be Naruto by any chance, would you?" she asked softly. Naruto froze, his flight or fight response in flux; his emotions a rage cespool of shock and confusion...and anger.

"Who are you…what the hell are you?!" Naruto hissed as he flipped to his feet, searching for the first item within reach; what proved small rock flying into his grasp at a mental command. He flung it at her with all his might. Imagine his surprise when the small stone abruptly ended its flight halfway; hovering before the alien's face with effortless ease.

"Impressive, young one." She mused, the slightest smile wreathing her alien features as she reached out for the rock. "You'll have much potential yet-

She stook a small step forward, and her words fell on deaf ears. Perhaps it was the fear he felt. Perhaps it was the anger. He knew not what it was, Naruto did...only that he didn't want this strange creature to come any closer!

**"STAY AWAY!"**

Naruto, did the first thing that came to his young mind. He pushed. His power rippled outward from him like a wave, blowing through the room in a tide of destruction. He was rewarded the brief satisfaction of watching the woman wince, and then she was gone, hurtling backwards,crashing back and through the wall of his apartment. Debris flew everywhere, raining down on his head, clogging his nose, suffocating him.

For a moment-a mere moment-he thought he'd killed her. That fear came crashing down around his ears as a push sent the debris hurtling outward, revealing the slightly battered form of his soon-to-be sensei.

"By the force," she murmurred, touching a hand to one of her lekku, "I...wasn't expecting that. You have great anger in you, youngling."

Naruto hissed. He had every reason to be angry!

"Shut up!"

The woman_-possibly bracing herself for another assault-_in turn jumped back through what looked like a chakra propelled jump, and fell into a defensive stance, a slender right hand reaching for a cylindrical device on her left hip. She gripped it tightly, brought it forward and flipped a switch. A blade of pure blue energy came into existence with a _snap-hiss. _

Naruto frowned as he studied the weapon. He had never seen anything quite like it before, but he knew instinctively that it was deadly. He reached for another rock, falling into a defensive, academy-taught stance before this beautiful, yet strange alien creature.

"Please calm down." The woman seemed to plead in a strange, enchanting accent. "I do not wish to harm you." Naruto had his doubts, as he looked upon the blazing blue blade.

"Could've fooled me, lady!" Naruto growled, his anger building once more-

"Narut-kun, stop!"

_(End Flashback)_

* * *

Were it not for Hinata's intervention, the eight-year old probably would've gotten himself killed. And then his anger had been all but forgotten when he saw the looks on their faces; the shock an disbelief of Konoha and its citizens, once they saw Aayla in all her glory.

Shock had become surprise and surprise rage when the twi'lek blithely informed them that she would be taking both Naruto and Hinata off-planet. Forget the fact that space travel was possible, there had been a near riot once they learned this "jedi" was taking the Hyuuga heiress away alongside the "demon-brat" they so loathed and despised. Some fellow named "Danzo" had tried to protest...

Funny how a lightsaber could do the talking. One swing, one arm lopped off and all the fight went out of him. Naruto smiled at the memory. There had been fear in their eyes, fear, but also respect. People respected power. Power gave you what you wanted. If you had enough power, no one could hurt you.

His anger was gone now however,, banished to the deepest, darkest depths of his mind. He was left instead to dwell upon it, the rising jewel of Coruscant swelling before the cruiser's viewport. Idly, his thoughts drifted to Hinata. She was sleeping, on the aft deck, exhausted from a long day. Naruto grimaced, recalling his terse conversation with her. If only he could sleep so easily as she...no. He wasn't going to think about that now. If she was the light, then soo too was he the shadow. But did the darkness of his past make him evil?

Morbid thoughts for an eight-year-old indeed.

Slowly, his gaze slid to Aayla's lightsaber. Such a deadly weapon. A powerful weapon. Simple, yet elegant. Looking back, it'd been a pivotal point in his life; just as the Force could be used for Light or Dark, so too could the tool. Alone, it was no threat to anyone. In the right hands it was a sword of salvation; in the wrong hands, an instrument of destruction. He was right to fear the blade back then, to understand and accept the fear for what it was.

"Hey...

"Hmm?" Aayla returned her attention to him, just now noticing his gaze.

"Would you like to see mine?" Aayla offered him the hilt. Naruto accepted it, albeit warily. It was warm to the touch; almost as if it were a thing alive. He touched the switch, and the blade sprang forth like a genie from a bottle, deafening him with a peal of rumbling thunder. He'd thought himself prepared for it. He wasn't. It was light in his hands, the only weight came out of the hilt, not the blade, and it swayed dangerously toward his face.

Naruto dropped the saber like a live snake, shouting:

"Kami!"

It skittered across the floor, deactivated before it touched the ground. Aayla retrieved it with an errant thought, buckling it to her waist once more. She was smiling.

"It won't bite you, Naruto."

"..."

The blond muttered something beneath his breath.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I'm...I'll have to use one of those...won't I?"

Aayla's expression became somber.

"Yes you will. It is a tool of great power and with great power comes great responsibility."

"I get the feeling you're quoting someone." Naruto grumbled.

The twi'lek laughed; it was a soft, melodious sound. She reached down to ruffle his hair and the boy flinched only slightly this time, willing himself to be still.

"Do you think I'll pass them?" He asked. "The trials, I mean." Aayla had told him much during their trip through hyperspace

"You just might, Naruto...

...you just might."

* * *

He did pass the trials. Aayla had told him he was meant to start as an initiate, but in this case, a special exception had been made, both for him, and for Hinata. In the comings months he was told he would eventually be selected for a master; but to mind his manners and meditate on the matter. In those months he did not see Hinata, and when the months becam years, a sense of loss began to ovcercome him.

Finally, on his twelfth birthday, he was summoned to the council chambers. He half-expected to find himself surrounded by a host of councils as he had been upon his arrival years before, but only Master Yoda was there to greet him. Naruto absently touched a hand to his lightsabers, he'd painstakingly toiled over them just three days before, the short hilts were cool to the touch, and provided him with a sense of relief. He touched a hand to his hair, he'd been instructed to braid part of it over an ear; and the news gave him much joy.

A joy not needed.

"Chosen you have been, Naruto." the aging master declared, the smallest of smiles wreathing his wrinkled face. "Apprenticed to Master Secura, you will be. Outside the temple meet her, you will."

Naruto was struck numb by the words. Aayla would be his master? Aayla? He wanted to shout! He wanted to jump for joy! A grin threatened to overtake his features, but he ruthlessly supressed it and instead, bowed.

"Thank you, master."

"May the force be with you, young padawan."

"A-And you master." He cursed himself for the stutter and as he departed...

* * *

-and nearly bowled over a familiar face. He glued his feet to the floor at the last instant with the Force, stopping a pace short of her, his forehead brushing against hers. Pale eyes blinked up at him, her face slowly coloring as he looked on. Before long, her cheeks were a grand, rosy red.

"Ohmygoshimsosorry!" she blurted, pushing past him.

Naruto jolted forwards, cursing. He'd gone seven paces before he realized who he'd just ignored. He swung around, swinging to a halt as he recognized the pale-eyed, dark-haired Hyuuga.

"By the-Hinata?!"

A strand of her hair had been bound back in a single braid, just like his. She wore the traditional padawan garment, and there, dangling from her waist, a long, metallic shaft that couldn't have been anything else other than a lightsaber. She smiled at him from across the hall, meek, tentative, shy. He waved weakly, drawing her attention to him. She saw him. Walked towards him, eyes agleam with excitement.

"You made it!" She looked as though she might hug him, but seemed to hold back. Naruto frowned. He knew jedi weren't to display affection, but surely there was nothing wrong about hugging...right? He stole a glance over his shoulder, checking in an instant for anyone. Then he grabbed his best friend around the waist and squeezed. _Hard._

Hinata peeped in surprise, a small 'eep!' of shock fleeing her lips before he released her. Naruto could've sworn he saw_-that was steam wasn't it?-_something rising out of her ears as he pulled away

"Yeah...what're you doing here?"

"Who's your master?"

"Aayla-sensei." He couldn't quite keep himself from puffing out his chest. All that anger he'd felt, all the frustration, it was so far gone now he barely even felt it. He'd done it! He was a padawan now! It occurred to him, that he should ask her who she had been apprenticed to as well.

"Neh, what about you?"

For the first time since they'd met, Hinata looked like she was about to refute her claim to a master. It wasn't just the sorrow in her eyes, nor the slight but sudden slouch of her was her emotions. They sang of sorrow and sadness and she was doing her best not to let it show.

"I'm serving under...M-Master Windu...

Naruto blanched and managed a wan smile. He'd come to know many in his short time here, and he knew that Master Windu was a stern teacher. What's more, serving on the council, he rarely left Coruscant at all. Whereas Aayla Secura often liked to travel; she often took on missions stretching far beyond the outer rim, sometimes into the unknown regions themselves. The thought of not being able to see her again was...unpleasant.

"That's...um...great!" He forced a smile, forced himself to hold it even as he saw her heart break into a thousand pieces. He should've said something. Looking back on it, he'd curse himself for this day, this moment, a thousand times

"I guess...that means we won't see each other for awhile, huh?" she fidgeted in place.

he was hating himself all over again.

"I...suppose so."

"In that case...

Something warm, soft, and infinitely pressed against his whiskere cheek. Naruto blinked, wondering what it was. He blinked again. And again. Once, twice, three times. By the time he finally realized Hinata'd kissed him_-of all people!-_she was already gone; around the corner, down the stairs and lost amidst the flow of fellow padawans, knight, and masters.

_Hinata..._

Naruto touched a hand to his cheek, unable to believe himself. To believe what had just happened. Where once he had tried his best to distance himself from her he now found that utterly impossible. Wherease he had found her odd and strange and maybe just a little bit wierd back in Konoha, he'd begun to change. Ever since coming to Coruscant, coming to the temple, it had been like a revelation. And with Hinata's kiss-a mere peck-it was so much more. As if he'd been living in darkness all the while and the touch of her lips had illuminated him; revealed everything there was to know about the universe.

_Love can ignite the stars._

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, surprised by the voice."Where did...that come from?" It was as if someone had whispered to him not just in his ear but into his very soul. He glanced about, seeking the speaker, and, finding none, shrugged. It must've been in his head; his imagination yes. Surely there wasn't anything inside him that could possibly speak to him...that was nonsense!

"Guess I'd better get going...

Naruto carefully tamped down his emotions to nonexistence and, with a heavy sigh and a heavier heart, proceeded down the hall and toward the exit where his new master awaited him. He'd finally gotten what he'd wanted, and yet, after Hinata's kiss it all felt hollow somehow. No! This was what he'd wanted, right? He'd dreamnt of this, ever since he first came to the temple first learned to master to his anger, to realize there were others like him.

"I guess...we really won't be seeing each other for awhile, huh?" Naruto sighed, as he stepped outside. The hustle and bustle of Coruscant and her skylanes was lost on him.

_We really won't._

* * *

And they did not. Years passed, and he never so much as saw a fleeting glimpse of her. It was as if the masters themselves had conspired to keep the two of them apart. He fought in many battles, grew to understand his connection to the Force, an everything surrounding it, and yet still, he missed that lonely, lavender-eyed little girl who'd first given him comfort.

Everything changed that fateful day when he found himself, alongside his master. They were to be given another assignment he soon realized, although, he did not understand its importance at the time. At the behest of Chancellor Valorum, they were to be sent to broker a truce between the Trade Federation and Naboo. And they weren't the only ones.

"Working with Master Qui-Gon and his padawan Obi-Wan, you will." Yoda informed them. "A difficult task, this may be. But if the chancellor asks it, go, you must."

Naruto forced a bow.

"Good for the three of you, this will be." Yoda reassured.

"Three?" Naruto blinked, thinking he'd misheard. "Master, there's only two of us-

"Come in, you may." Yoda spoke to someone just beyond the door.

The doors to the counciil chambers wooshed open and Naruto felt the blood rush from his face. His jaw nearly dropped clean off his visage, practically crashed to the floor.

There she was.

Her lavender eyes lit up as he stepped through the doorframe, her gorgeous white grin streaking across her mouth as she stood and ran to him like a child welcoming her father home from a long business trip. He could only stand dumbfounded as her lithe form slid gracefully across the room to him. Had she always been so beautiful? Why had he never noticed that his childhood companion was this sexy, alabaster-skinned woman? He stood there, aghast. Had the past fifteen years changed her? Sure her hair had grown out a little, but she otherwise looked the same as she always had.

Except drop-dead gorgeous.

She wrapped her arms around his neck with a squeal. Still in his state of shock, it took Naruto a moment to react and place his own arms around the thin waist of his fellow Jedi. He buried his face in her neck, enjoying the warmth of her pale skin on his cheeks and the smell of her hair in his nostrils. He felt her arms tighten around him and her breathing quickened, her breasts heaving up and down against his chest.

"Its good to see the two of you haven't forgotten one another after all this time." Master Windu smiled thinly and in his smile Naruto saw a flicker of suspicion. Jedi-even their padawans-were not to have attachments.

Naruto and Hinata jerked back as if they'd been _burned._

"Ahahaha...sorry."

Naboo was just the beginning. He'd suspected something amiss; he had no way of knowing that this was Hinata's trial, that if peace was brokered between Naboo and the Trade Federation, she would become a jedi knight.

But there would be no peace. Only...

_...catastrophe._

* * *

**A/N: Well, I'm back again! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Tis merely a series of excerpts from the more interesting scenes of Naruto and Hinata's life amongst the stars. We're almost finished here, as I've resolved to complete this story as well. Naruto and Hinata as well as Aayla are about to be caught up in the nasty mess that the Trade Federation wrought, which promises interesting changes in the Phantom Menace. Will Qui-Gon live to see the Clone Wars because of this? Possibly. And to clarify, by this point in the flashbacks, Naruto and Hinata are roughly fifteen/sixteen years old. So they are in a sense, senior padawans. Anakin was how old when they found him on Tatooine again? Just some food for thought.**

** Soooo I sincerely look forward to your feedback and**** in the immortal words of Darth Vader...**

**...review! It is your destiny! And enjoy the preview:**

**Preview:**

_"It's just a meal." Naruto turned aside, coloring at the implications of his words._

_"Y-Yes." Hinata swallowed, mirroring the action. "Just a meal..._

_"Together."_

_"R-Right..._

_"Alone."_

_"There's nothing wrong with that...is there?" Hinata peeped out._

_"N-Not unless you have a problem with it?"_

_"I don't!"_

**R&R! =D**


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